Apparatus for producing fold flange tubes

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises an apparatus for producing fold flange tubes, in particular such having complicated cross-sectional shapes, in a continuous manner and with a minimum of tooling equipment, wherein two series of shape rolling stands arranged in staggered relationship in a vertical plane for the formation of component sections, a device for vertically approaching the component sections so formed, and a welding machine for joining the component sections are provided.

United States Patent Inventor Alfred Wogerbauer Linz, Austria Appl. No. 1,105

Filed Jan. 7, 1970 Division of Ser. No. 651,836, July 7, 1967, Pat. No. 3,545,496

Patented Sept. 7, I971 Assignee Vereinigte Osterreichische Eisen-und Stahlwerke Aktiengesellscliait Linz, Austria Priority Aug. 9, 1966 Austria APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FOLD FLANGE TUBES 3 Claims, 16 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 219/59, 2 19/ 102 Int. Cl B23k 11/02 Field ofSearch 2l9/59,64,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,298 2/1918 Neuman 72/181 1,806,558 5/1931 Holmes 219/67 2,251,967 8/1941 Yoder 72/181 2,821,619 1/1958 Rudd 219/107 2,950,376 8/1960 Wogerbauer.. 219/59 X 3,132,234 5/1964 Wogerbauer.. 219/59 X 3,165,815 1/1965 Wogerbauer.. 219/146X 3,263,053 7/1966 Rudd 219/59 3,420,976 1/1969 Morris et al. 219/59 X Primary Examiner-J. V. Truhe Assistant Examiner1.. A. Schutzman Attorney-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond ABSTRACT: The invention comprises an apparatus for producing fold flange tubes, in particular such having complicated cross-sectional shapes, in a continuous manner and with a minimum of tooling equipment, wherein two series of shape rolling stands arranged in staggered relationship in a vertical plane for the formation of component sections, a device for vertically approaching the component sections so formed, and a welding machine for joining the component sections are provided.

PATENIEDsI-IP mu 3503761 INV NTOR ALFRED W GERBAUER is ATTORNEYS PATENTED SEP 7197i 3, 603; 761

sum 3 OF 3 FIG. 7

mysu-ron ALFRED WOGERBAUER hi5 ATTORNEYS APPARATUS'FOR PRODUCING FOLD FLANGE TUBES This application is a division of my pending application Ser. No. 651,836, filed July 7, 1967, now Pat. No. 3,545,496, issuedDec. 8, I970.

The inventionrelates to an apparatus for. producing fold flange tubesfrom-metal strips.

Foldflange or laptubesareincreasingly used by building fitters, in portal building',,and the like, for making doors, windows, frames, etc; Originally, fold flange tubes were exclusive- 'ly produced by reshaping round tubes upon draw benches.

This type of production is expensive, as it. requires many separate steps and a considerable amount of material. Further, foldflange tubes are also produced in tube welding plants where preshaped tubes aremade, which thereafter receive their respective shapes by anfinal cold-draw on draw benches. Fold flange tubes so produced areexpensive, as multiple-stand tube welding machines and complicated tooling equipment are required. With increasingly complicated shapes of the tubes this mode of production becomes ever less economical. The limit is apparently a'maximum of three foldflanges.

The invention aims at avoiding these disadvantages and difficulties. In particular, it has as its object to provide a simple apparatus enabling the production of fold flange tubes from strip stock in a continuous manner.

A further object is to keep the assembly equipment at a minimum even when fold flange tubes of highly complicated cross-sectional shapesare produced, i.e. such having four to eight fold flanges.

The apparatus of the invention with which these objects are achieved comprises two series of shape rolling stands of which each is adapted to shape continuously fed strip stock to one component section, both component sections having projecting edges and at least one of them having at least one fold flange, the two series of shape rolling stands being arranged in staggered relationship in a vertical plane. Following the second series of said shape rolling stands there is provided a device for bringing togetherthe edges of the two component sections so formed, which device is adapted to vertically approach said component sections. The apparatus of the inventionfurther includes a welding machine for butt-welding the facing edges of the component sections. The apparatus of the invention is particularly suited for the production of fold flange tubes having relatively complicated profiles with several fold flanges.

The welding machine used in accordance with the invention may be alow frequency welding machine with conductive current supply by way of electrode rollers staggered in feed direction and adjustable in relation to each other.

According to another embodiment the welding machine included in the apparatus of the invention is a high frequency welding machine with conductive current supply by way of sliding contacts adapted to be applied to the facing edges of the two component sections.

The invention is illustrated in more detail in the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus according to the invention.

, FIG. la illustrates the. cross-sectional changes in the component sections of oneform of tube which may be produced with the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2a2h illustrate the production of a component section in successive shapingstations of a series of shape rolling stands.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a device for conductive welding,

FIGS. 5 and 6 another embodiment of a device for conductive welding,

FIGS. 7 and 8 a device for inductive welding of component sections.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus according to the invention in whichtwo series of shape rolling stands comprising pairs of rolls are arranged in staggered relationship and at different levels in the vertical plane. Strip I l enters the first series of shape rolling stands, three of which, 31, 31', 32, 32', and 33, 33', are shown, wherein strip 1 l is shaped as shown in FIG. la, while strip 11' remains unshaped. In the second se ries of shape rolling stands arranged behind and below the first series, whereof again three roll pairs are designated by 310, 310', 320, 320', and 330, 330, the section 20 remains undeformed, as shown in FIG. la, while the strip 11' is shaped to section 20 Thereafter the sections are brought together vertically until the branch edges to be welded come into facing contact with each other, and are then welded in welding machine 220. Numerals 34 and 35 denote electrode rollers, numeral 40 straddling rollers.

FIGS. 2a.-2hillustrate the production of a component section: in successive shaping stations of a series of shape rolling stands. The cross-sectional shape of the finished component section shown in FIG. 2 differs somewhat from those of FIG. 1a and serves as an example of the wide range of shapes that can be produced with the apparatus of the invention. FIG. 2a shows a flat strip 11 between two guide pulleys I10 and in FIG. 2b a bead longitudinal of the direction of the strip is shaped by means of two shaping rolls 200, 200 and in FIG. 20 is rolled by means of two shaping rolls 201a to form a flat flange 2., while a further, smooth roll prevents warping of the shaped strip. In FIG. 2d and 2e, the side flanges 2 and branches 3, 3 are preshaped by further shaping rolls 202, 202', and 203, 203'. In FIG. 2f and 2g, the flanges 2 and branches 3, 3' receive their final shape through rolls 204, 204', 205, 205', and the pair of rolls 204a. In FIG. 2h, the step 4 in web 1' is formed by the rolls 206, 206', and the pair of rolls 206a.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a possible welding current supply, FIGS. 5 and 6 another possibility and FIGS. 7 and 8 a third possibility. According to FIGS. 3 and 4 low frequency current is supplied from a transformer 42 by way of electrode rollers 34, 35, which are staggered in the feed direction of the sections 20, 20'. The rollers 34 and 35 are adjustable in feed direction and also in relation to each other, according to the dimensions 0, d. This adjustability has the purpose that, when using low frequency welding current, and when the fold flange tubes are unsymmetrical, the problem arises of uniformly heating the two butting branches. When a U-section branch having a fold flange lies opposite another branch having no such flange, the branch of the U-section with fold flange would remain cooler than the branch without fold flange. The adjustability of the current supply rollers makes it possible to exclude differential heating.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a preferred embodiment of the welding device using high frequency current supplied through sliding contacts 36 and 37. Numerals 38 and 39 denote pressure rollers, numeral 40 straddling rollers.

According to FIGS. 7 and 8, the welding current is supplied by way of an induction coil 41 surrounding the section at an even distance, which induces an adequate current in component sections 20 and 20', the circuit being closed by the butting branch edges which are thereby heated and joined. Numerals 38 and 39 again denote the pressure rollers and numeral 40 the straddling rollers.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing fold flange tubes comprising two series of shape rolling stands, each series of shape rolling stands adapted to form a component section from continuously fed strip stock so that each formed component section will have projecting edges and at least one fold flange, said two series of shape rolling stands being arranged in horizontally staggered relationship and at different levels in the vertical plane, means for vertically displacing'said component sections relative to each other to bring the respective projecting edges of each component section into contact with each other, and welding means for butt-welding the edges of said component sections which are in contact.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said welding means comprises a low frequency power supply and a plurality of electrode rollers, the electrode rollers positioned in means comprises a high frequency power supply and a plurality of sliding contacts, the sliding contacts adapted to slidingly engage the projecting edges ofthe component sections.

P0405! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,603 761 Dated September 7 1971 Inventor(s) Alfred Wogerbauer It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 74, add shapingprior to "rolls". Column 2, line 65, "and at least one fold flange," should read --and at least one of the component sections will have at least one fold flange,-.

Signed and sealed this 21 st day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Commissioner of Patents 

1. An apparatus for producing fold flange tubes comprising two series of shape rolling stands, each series of shape rolling stands adapted to form a component section from continuously fed strip stock so that each formed component section will have projecting edges and at least one fold flange, said two series of shape rolling stands being arranged in horizontally staggered relationship and at different levels in the vertical plane, means for vertically displacing said component sections relative to each other to bring the respective projecting edges of each component section into contact with each other, and welding means for butt-welding the edges of said component sections which are in contact.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said welding means comprises a low frequency power supply and a plurality of electrode rollers, the electrode rollers positioned in horizontally staggered relationship and being adjustable in the feed direction and in relation to each other.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said welding means comprises a high frequency power supply and a plurality of sliding contacts, the sliding contacts adapted to slidingly engage the projecting edges of the component sections. 